Mail-bag catcher.



- No. 846,390. PATBNTED MAR. 5, 1907.

w. J. BOOK.

MAIL BAG GATGHER.

APPLICATION run me. 10, nos. 4

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WILLIAM J. BUCK, OF LOOMIS, CALIFORNIA.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Application filed August 1 6, 1906. Serial No. 330,840.

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Be it known that I, ILLLUI J. Bock, a 'itizen of the United States, residing at Loomis. in the county ol' Placer, State of CtllliOX'llltl, have Invented certain new and g useful Improvements in Mail-Bag (ah-hers; I

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ottlre inven- 7 tion, such as will enable others skilled in the-.

art to which it appertains to make and use f the same.

This invention relates to mail delivery and receiving mechanism for railway-trains, and has for its object to provide a mail-catcher which will include means for holding a bag in position to be caught by a passing train. a receptacle for bags from the train, and a device for delivering bags into the receptacle and for catching bags from the holding means.

Other objects and advantages will he apnircnt from the following description, and it is to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details ofconstruction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similarparts in the sev ral views, l-igure 1 is an elevational view of a bag holding and receiving mechanism. 1 ig. 2 is a top plan view showing a car passing the holding and receiving mechanism, the car bebracket 9 depends from the traveler between its ends and carries at its lower end an opentopped bag-receptacle 1t), and stead ing members 11 are secured to the postand ini elude spaced fingers 12, which receive therebetween the bracket 9 when the traveler is f at the end of the track to prevent swinging i of the receptacle through movement of the I parts. from each end of the traveler there projects laterally a finger 13, these fingers extending in the same direction toward a track adjacent to which the mechanism is located.

and a bag-receiving ring H is provided, as

shown.

A pair of crossed levers 15 are pivoted upon the ring, extending outwardly and inwardly thereof, as shown, and the inner ends of t hesc levers have pivoted thereto the outer ends of two members 16, which are pivotally connected at their inner ends for movement into and out of alinemcnt with each other. It will beseen that when these members are in alinement with each other the levers 15 are held against: movement. The upper ends of the levers 15 are pivoted to the lower ends of the shank 17 of a pair of pivotally-connected upwardly-directed jaws 18, arranged to receive and hold either of two balls 15. carried one by each of the fingers 13, the arrangement being such that movement of the shanks 17 toward each other results in disengagement of the jaws from the balls, and a spring 19, engaged between the shanks to hold them yieldably against such movement. As shown, a 1nail-bag is connected with the ring 14, and it will be seen that if the members 16 be moved upwardly at their eminected ends disengagement of the jaws from the ball 13 will result to detach the mail-bag from the holding mechanism or crane. It will be seen that the ring may be attached at either end of the traveler.

A catching and delivering arm '20 is revolu bly engaged in a bracket 21, pivoted horizontally in a car 22, and it will be understood that each car is to be provided with one of these members. The arm extends outwardly of the car, having at its inner end acrank 22, by which it may be revolved and having a latcrally-extending nose 23 at its outer end, this nose extending at right angles to the arm. A -finger 24 is pivoted to the 9 outer ends of the arm for movement into and out of alinement therewith and is held normally in alinement with the arm by a spring 25, but is movable in either direction out. of such alinement,,this movement being in the plane of the nose 23.

In use a bag to be delivered to the train is connected with the ring 14, as described, and the ring is connected to the traveler at the opposite side of the bracket 9 from the direction of a )proach of the train. A bag to be delivered at the station is, cngaged with the nose 23 by passing this nose through a ring connected with the bag, which may be a second ring 14, and the arm 20 is projected from the ear to'bring the bag into position to pass over the receptacle It), in which pttfltlt) the mg a resilient hnger' engaging the bracket for tinger 34 is disposed to engage the bracket t) for movement of the traveler with the tram along the track 6, 1t being understood that the traveler is disposed at the end of the track I in the direction of approach of the train. The arm 20 is also moved vertically to bring its nose .23 into position to pass through the 1 ring 14 of the bag to be delivered to the train. hen the movement of the tram has broughtthe arm into position to he with its bag above the receptacle 10, the iingcr 24 has engaged 5 the bracket 9 to move the traveler with the tram. and the arm 20 is quickly revolved to drop its bag from Its linger l3 n to the recepto the traveler, means for disengaging the holding means, and a movable member havmovement of the traveler with the member, said linger being arranged for movement to permit of movement of the member independently of the bracket when the traveler has reached the limit of its movement, and a nose carried by the member for movement into position to operate the releasing means when the finger is disengaged from the tacle 10, after which it quickly pthitiflittti to locate its nose 23ior passage through the ring 14, and when the travtltr has come to the end of its movement the movemt ntof the t 10 bracket and allowing the nose 2.) to pass into the ring 14, when quick upward movement of the nose will engage the members 16,

throwing them'out of alinement and releas- I mg the rmg and bag from the traveler.

What is claimed is I. In a mail catching and delivering mechanism, the combination with a track, of a 1 traveler movable upon the track, a bag-receptacle carried by the traveler, means for detachably connecting a bag with the traveler, and a member arranged for movemtnt with respect to the traveler for delivery of a 1 bag into the receptacle and for operation of 5 the attaching means to release the latter, said member being arranged for movement to actuate the releasing means after the tinof the traveler therewith.

.2. A mail-bag holder comprising a fixed i member, JtlWS engaging the {med member 5 and having shanks, said JHWS being arranged bracket 4. A receiving mechanism for mail-boxes comprising a track, a traveler movable on the track, a bracket depending from the traveler, a receptacle carried by the bracket, and steadying devices located atthe ends of the track and arranged to receive the bracket to hold it with the traveler against swinging movement when the traveler is at the ends of the track.

In a mechanism of th class described, the combination with movable portions, of means for limiting the movement of said portions, an arm movable with respect to the movable portions, :1 finger pivoted to the arm and engaging the movable portions, a spring arranged to hold the linger yieldably against movement with respect to the arm, and in position for movement of said por tions with the arm, said linger being arranged for movement against the action of the spring 1 to permit 01' independent movement of the arm when the first-named movable portions have reached the limit. of their movement, a bag-holder detaehably connected with the movable portion, means for releasing the bag, and a nose carried by the arm for movement ger is disengaged from the movable portions. 6. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a track, of a traveler movable on the track, :1 depending member 1 carried by the bracket, means for limiting the member, levers pivcted together to the t shanks and pivoted 1n crossed rclation, a bagreceiving member pivoted to the levers at their pivot-point, and members pivottd to the ends of the levers opposite to the shanks the traveler, a finger pivoted to the arm and the movement of the traveler on the track, a ring detachably connected with the traveler and adapted for the attachment of a mailbag thereto, an arm movable with respect to engaging the opposite side of the depending for movement into and out of position to hold said ends of the levers against movement toward each other.

member from the ring, said finger being movable toward and away from the member upon its pivot, a spring arranged to hold the I finger yieldably against the depending mom- 3. In a mechanism of the class described,

the combination with a track, of a traveler movable on the track, stops at the ends of the track, a bracket carried by the traveler, a receptacle carried by the bracket, steadying devices located in position to receive the bracket therebetween when the traveler is at the ends of the track to hold the latter against swingingmovement, means for holding a bag liar, and a nose carried by the arm in positlon for passage through the ring when the arm is moved over the depending member.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. BOCK \Vitnesses:

WILLIAM LORENZ, EDWARD KLEIN. 

